Today in the Greek Parliament a much-needed program passed. The government introduced a part of its “parallel program” aimed to give access to healthcare services for 2,5 million Greeks, not covered by any social security scheme.

The new law foresees health coverage for vulnerable social groups, i.e. pregnant women, children, mentally ill, drug addicts, chronically ill people, regardless of their legal status. The program also covers refugees and undocumented immigrants, securing that themselves as well will be equally treated.

The program introduces incentives to medical personnel and doctors to seek recruitment in under-populated, distant from urban centers areas, facilitating the process with the creation of Recruitment Councils that bypass foot-dragging bureaucracy. Furthermore, the program includes the establishment of Patient Rights Bureau in public hospitals to address complaints and cases of bribery. In this respect, the Ministry of Health intends to re-organize Disciplinary and Monitoring Boards to combat corruption.

The parallel program was fiercely fought by the creditors and the opposition parties back in December 2015. At that time the government was forced to withdraw it given the delicate state of negotiations with the creditors over the release of a bailout tranche. New Democracy and PASOK unveiled the major goals of the program to certain sources related to the creditors even before the submission to the relevant parliamentary committees, pointing out that the program was against what the government has agreed to with the institutions in July.

After two months of delay, the Syriza-led government brought the program back for consultation in the Parliament, ignoring the persistent pressure from the creditors. Today the law passed, but all opposition parties voted against. The stance of the parties is revealing of the depth of fragmentation in domestic politics and another proof that Greece has a long way to go to overcome the crisis with such a political personnel.

The Parallel Program is one of the most important legislative initiatives made these years of austerity, along with the humanitarian crisis bill voted last year. Both bills were voted by the Syriza-led government that tries to balance between a fiscal consolidation program, a broad reform agenda, and the provision of minimum social justice. A literally tough task whatsoever.

OPERATION “MOSUL” – continuation.
Expert assessment of Academy of Geopolitics.
Geopolitical paradigms in the Middle East didn’t change more than 100 years. Wars for fertile lands, for drinking water, for control over trade routes, for sex slaves, for oil and for religion, proceed in our region more eyelid. In the previous part of our article — » The Operation «Mosul», we drew the main strokes to a geopolitical picture with a situation around events on release of the Iraqi city of Mosul, from «Saddam’s army Daash» —
(See: http://www.prezidentpress.ru/news/3769-gazovaya-voyna-turcii-s-rossiey-tureckie-alternativy.html ). Experts of our Academy of Geopolitics managed to find out that exactly 100 years ago the Russian troops, together with two Armenian battalions, too tried to exempt the city of Mosul from Turks who took then Mosul… How Russia appeared in Syria? And what that general of «KSIR» Kassem of Soleimani «on an ear» «whispered» to the president of Russia V. V. Putin, during a meeting with it in July 24-26 in Is New – Ogoryovo? Perhaps, Putin disengages the troops from Syria because Kassem Soleimani «deceived» Putin? — http://www.prezidentpress.ru/news/3853-kto-vzorvet-dambu-u-goroda-mosul-cru-ili-igil.html . ..Arayik Sargsyan, academician, Honorary Consul of Macedonia in Armenia, President of Academy of Geopolitics,
representative of AIC in Irag . http://www.nt.am/ru/news/218536/ , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj4J4Ko9kFY

About: Dimitris Rapidis

Dimitris is thoroughly involved in the analysis of the Greek financial crisis in Eurozone, the political and geopolitical shifts globally, with emphasis in EU and MENA region. His analyses and interviews have been featured in national, European and regional broadcasting networks, media, and journals, such as Bloomberg, Euronews, Associated Press, Al Jazeera, El Pais, Publico, El Mundo, La Razon, Sputnik, Russia Today, Newsweek, Financier Worldwide, Die Welt, Handelsblatt, BBC, Nouvel Observateur, Anadolu Agency, Hurriyet, among others.

He has studied political science and international affairs at the Universities of Athens and Geneva. Dimitris is founding member of the Research Committee on Geopolitics (RC-41) of the International Political Science Association, and the Model of the European Union of the Galatasary University. He has been a guest speaker at numerous international academic and governmental conferences, summer schools and symposia in Europe.